In Situ Science

SPECIAL GUEST: Darryl Jones (Griffith) Don't feed the birds! Well.. OK, if you must make sure you do it properly. Dr Darryl Jones is an urban ecologist who has spent years studying the interactions between humans and animals in towns and cities. One of the most common and widespread interactions between animals and humans is bird feeding. Despite how common it is, there has been very little research into the impacts of this interaction on birds' behaviour and ecology. Darryl has turned his focus towards understanding what food we are giving birds and why we feel so compelled to do this. In this episode of In Situ Science we talk about Australia's bird life and how adopting bird feeding strategies developed in other parts of the world is inappropriate for our unique birds. We talk about what impacts our bird feeding behaviours can have on birds, and, if you do feel compelled to feed birds, how you can do it responsibly. If you do want to know more about how to feed the birds in your garden make sure to grab a copy of Darryl's two books "The Birds at My Table: Why We Feed Wild Birds and Why it Matters" and "Feeding the Birds at Your Table: A Guide for Australia". Follow Darryl on Twitter @MagpieJonesD Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram           Like us on Facebook                                                   Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

Cameron Webb, to put it simply, is the mozzie guy. He has built his career studying the diversity and ecology of mosquitoes and also their interactions with humans and how they can be vectors of significant human diseases. His expertise in mosquitoes requires him to be in one moment a champion for mosquito appreciation and understanding, whilst simultaneously understanding the need to control their populations and their impact on people. When he’s not out in swamps surveying mosquito populations, you can find him in the lab, or in front of a microphone advocating for responsible urban development and integrated pest management. As cities grow and become greener, we are also faced with the inevitable interactions with wildlife that can occur including our complex relationship with mosquitoes. In this interview we advocate for a new breed of mosquito appreciators, AKA “itchers”, and a balanced appreciation of what ‘living close to nature’ really means. You can find out more at Cameron’s website here. Follow Cameron on Twitter @Mozziebites Follow Cameron on Facebook @mozziebites Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram           Like us on Facebook                                                   Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Sami Bayly (Author and Illustrator) Sami Bayly is the author and illustrator of the award winning children’s’ book ‘The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals”, published by Hachette Australia. This book features full page illustrations and fun facts about some of the world’s strangest animals, who are all beautiful in their own very special way. Sami studied natural history illustration at university and is now forging a career publishing books that highlight weird and wonderful creatures that you may have never heard of. In this interview with In Situ Science we talk about what scientific illustration is, what sorts of skills you need, and how a creative career can pose all sorts of weird challenges beyond simply doing great work. She is currently working on her next book of incredible animals that is due to be released in late 2020. Follow Sami on Instagram, Facebook, and visit her website here.   Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram           Like us on Facebook                                                   Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUESTS: Dr Jim Jobin and Nick Tangeman (Pod Therapy) How are you handling isolation and COVID-19? If you feel like you need some support and want to talk to someone about it, our two special guests today are here to tell you that you definitely should. In this very special episode of In Situ Science we chat to the hosts of Pod Therapy - a podcast dedicated to raising awareness of mental health and breaking down stigmas surrounding therapy. Dr Jim Jobin and Nick Tangeman are clinical therapists from Las Vegas who specialise in treating a range of mental health issues including depression, addiction, and relationship counselling. In this interview we chat about how the COVID-19 presents some of the most challenging social and economic conditions for people's mental health. We also talk about the relationship between research and practice in therapy, career paths in psychology and the standard of Australian ice hockey. Ask the guys a question at www.podtherapy.net Follow them on Twitter @podtherapyguys Follow Dr Jim @SinCityShrink Follow Nick @Nick_Tangeman   Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram           Like us on Facebook       Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper – www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

Whats next for In Situ Science? In the weird new world we are living in things have changed quite a bit. Here's a quick update to let you know that we're still here and we're so happy to have your support during these crazy times! Take care, stay safe, and we'll see you all again soon! Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook           Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

Way back on episode 39 Charlotte Mills was a PhD student at UNSW. She has since completed her PhD and is now Dr Charlotte Mills. Charlotte describes her time as a PhD candidate as a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ experience. This experience has taken her across the magical desert landscapes of inland Australia and continues to be an exciting adventure. Follow Charlotte on Twitter @EcologistMills Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper – www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com  

This flashback episode takes us back to episode 60 where we chat with Dieter Hochuli, an invertebrate biologist and urban ecologist from the University of Sydney who studies how nature survives in towns and cities. His research investigates the ecological, economical and psychological benefits of nature in cities, and how our modern way of life affects the plants and animals around us.  In an interview with In Situ Science Dieter chats with us about how connecting with nature is being shown to have significant impacts on people’s health and well being, and that this connection can still happen even when you live in a big city. We also chat about the creative side of science and science communication, and how taking ourselves a little less seriously can be a great technique for approaching science and scientific careers.  Follow Dieter on Twitter @dieterhochuli and check out his lab website here. Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper – www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

Our next flashback episode goes all the way back to Episode 11 where we chatted with Dr Heather Hendrickson about the battle against anti-biotic resistant bacteria. Dr Hendrickson is a research scientist and science communicator from Massey University in New Zealand. Her research group is at the front line of understanding how other forms of treatment can be used as alternatives to broad spectrum antibiotics. In an interview with in situ science she takes us through her research into bacteriophage therapy: finding viruses that will target and kill pathogenic bacteria. Find out more about Heather’s research here and read her thoughts on the This Microbial Life blog. Follow Heather on Twitter @DrHHNZ Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper – www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

For the next few episodes In Situ Science will be revisiting some old classics while James takes a break from podcasting to tackle a very important job :-) First off the rank is Episode 47 with the one and only Dr Karl Kruszelnicki. Dr Karl is perhaps Australia’s most prolific and well known science communicator. He has written over 43 books, and has appeared regularly on national radio for over 30 years. In an interview with In Situ Science we chat about the immense amount of research and hard work that goes in to building up Dr Karl’s broad  range of expertise. Vist Dr Karl’s website at www.drkarl.com and follow him on Twitter @doctorkarl Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper – www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

Adam Hamlin is a neuroscientist at the University of New England who studies how drugs, such as painkillers, affect brain neurochemistry. These chemicals can have wonderful affects and are miracles of modern medicine, however if used improperly can lead to dependencies and addictions. In this interview with Dr Hamlin we talk about how these painkillers work and what make them such effective and potentially dangerous substances. We also chat about what makes lab rats such effective models for medical research, why scepticism is beautiful, and what antidepressants might have to do with our gutmicrobiomes. Follow Adam Hamlin on twitter @honestscientist Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook        Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Samuel Banister (USyd) The cannabis plant is useful for everything from textiles to medicine, however our ability to use these plants has been hampered by its association with illegal drugs. People are beginning to make very big claims about the use of cannabinoids to treat almost every ailment under the sun, however the evidence still just isn’t there. Samuel Banister is a medicinal chemist at the Lambert Initiative at the University of Sydney that studies how drugs affect our brains and bodies in both good and bad ways. He studies how the chemicals found in cannabis might be used to treat conditions such as epilepsy and certain cancers. Support In Situ Science on Patreon Sam also studies how illicit drugs affect the brain and the chemical pathways behind their effects. In this interview with In Situ Science we chat about the benefits of voluntary pill testing, and whether the prohibition of drugs can cause more harm than good. We also talk about the challenges of understanding the effects of recreational drugs with new drugs constantly being developed and finding their way out into the streets.   Follow Sam on Twitter @samuel_b_phd or find out more about the Lambert Initiative here Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram        Like us on Facebook                                          Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Lucy Farrow (UNE) Humans have the biggest brains of any animals… well, kind of… only if we correct for body size… which is important… we think. Understanding animal intelligence is difficult, especially when brains are so complex that our own brains might be incapable of understanding themselves. When it comes to animals, brain size has been a primary indicator of intelligence, however showing that having bigger brains leads to greater intelligence is harder than it sounds. You can’t exactly ask a sloth to fill out a survey, or ask an octopus sit an IQ test.  Support In Situ Science on Patreon       Lucy Farrow is a PhD student at the University of New England that studies cognition in one of Australia’s most notorious birds, the noisey miner. Their complex societies and behaviour make them incredibly successful urban invaders. Before becoming a research scientist she spent time working with National Geographic working filming documentaries throughout South Africa. Follow Lucy on Twitter @LucyFarrow7 Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook                                          Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com  

SPECIAL GUEST: Glenn Porter (UNE) The science of forensics has popularised by the success of TV crime shows, but the reality of how criminal investigations occur, and the science behind evidence gathering is often nowhere near as glamorous as these shows imply. While we may not be able to work the magic they show on TV, new technologies   are aiding forensic scientists in more effectively gathering and presenting evidence. With advances in imaging technology and the ubiquity of digital cameras in society, forensic imaging is a continuously growing field and faces new challenges surrounding the management and privacy of enormous amounts of image data. Support In Situ Science on Patreon Glenn Porter is the head of the Centre for Rural Criminology at the University of New England and specialises in how optics and photographic techniques can be used gather and present evidence in criminal investigations. Glenn began his career as a creative photographer and, after finding a job as a forensic photographer, found his career taking a new and exciting direction towards forensic science research. In this interview with In Situ Science we talk about how forensic science can play a role in the complex and collaborative field of crime detection, investigation and prevention.   Find out more about the Centre for Rural Criminology here.   Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook                                          Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Belinda Craig (UNE)  How well can we read other people’s faces? And how good are we at faking our own emotional responses? Turns out not to great. In the absence of other contextual cues people are not very good at reading peoples facial expressions. Add to that the fact that cultural differences can have a huge impact on what emotions are expressed and how. As humans we are inherently biased towards favourably reading the expressions of people within our own groups. Even things like facial hair can affect how emotions are perceived. Belinda Craig is ‘not that kind of psychologist’ from the University of New England. She studies how the social groups we belong to affect how we perceive emotions. In this chat with In Situ Science we chat to Belinda about fluctuating fashion trends in the world of beards, spider phobias and why we have them, and why you shouldn’t fall asleep in an FMRI machine.  Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook        Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Matthew McKenzie (Thalgarrah EEC) Support In Situ Science on Patreon Matthew McKenzie is the principal and head teacher of a public school with a difference. Thalgarrah Environmental Education Centre is located in the woodlands outside of Armidale in regional NSW. It is part of a network of environmental and zoo education centres across NSW that provide other schools with a base for excursions, camps and experiences focussed on using nature as a learning and teaching resource. In this interview with In Situ Science Matt talks about the importance of connecting with nature in the classroom and how school students have the opportunity to not just learn about science, but be scientists by taking part in real-world science experiments. We chat about the Tiny Gardeners Project, an upcoming citizen science project where school groups across Australia can participate and learn about how ants are Australia’s ‘tiny gardeners’ planting tree seeds across our vast country. Find out more about the Tiny Gardeners Project here, and about the Thalgarrah Environmental Education Centre here.   Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Michael Kasumovic (UNSW) Support In Situ Science on Patreon After a brief stint trying to become a dentist, Michael Kasumovic found his true calling studying the ecology and evolution of spiders. That was until he found another calling studying everything else from performance in professional athletes, how income can affect facial preferences, and how sex and social status can influence people’s behaviour in online videogames. Not content with simply being a prolific research scientist Mike decided to start his own educational company developing apps that can be used to teach scientific concepts and principles in the classroom. Arludo was developed to provide school teachers with tools to engage students with active and exploratory challenges that helps them develop problem solving and collaboration skills. Teachers can join in on YouTube live sessions to see Arludo in action or try out there freely available apps. Follow Michael on Twitter @mkasumovic, visit his website, or check out the Arludo website to find out more about their educational apps for the classroom Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook                Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

Support In Situ Science on Patreon SPECIAL GUEST: Isabelle Kingsley (UNSW) From school teacher, to science communicator, to events producer, and now researcher, Isabelle Kingsley has spent her career spanning widely different areas of science education and outreach. She founded the Sydney Science Festival in 2015 which has grown into an annual festival attended by over 80,000 people. While she was running the Sydney Science Festival she began to wonder what sort of educational impact public science events actually have. This inspired her to undertake her PhD at the University of New South Wales where she is developing methods to quantify what people actually learn from public science events. Despite the proliferation of science communication and outreach across the world we actually don’t know how effective these initiatives are at increasing science literacy and comprehension. Isabelle’s work will help improve the efforts of science communicators and educators and help make science engagement more effective into the future. Visit Isabelle’s website to find out more or follow her research and outreach journey on Twitter and Instagram @isabellekingsley Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook                Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

Support In Situ Science on Patreon SPECIAL GUEST: Benji Kessler (UC) Benji Kessler is a man of many talents, he studies the behaviour of spiders, teaches mathematics to school kids, does stand-up comedy and looks great in a Spider-Man costume. Benji is currently visiting Australia from the USA where he is doing his PhD at the University of California. He was nice enough to sit down for a chat to talk about how a severe arachnophobe managed to forge a career in science studying the visual and vibratory signalling behaviours of spiders. In this interview we talk about how a life spent doing both science and comedy can interact and how sometimes you’re not sure which one you are doing. We discuss whether you can be a stupid scientist, whether you HAVE to be stupid to be a scientist, and how far can you push the limits with putting puns in your research paper titles. At In Situ Science we strongly believe that great discoveries come from the amazing and unique individuals that do research, and Benji Kessler is the perfect example. His sheer passion and joy for what he does makes him a great scientist and one hell of a podcast guest. Search for Benji Kessler on YouTube to see some of his stand-up comedy or follow him on twitter @BenjiKessler   Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook                Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Alva Curtsdotter (UNE) Support In Situ Science on Patreon Some scientists go out in to the field, collect data and conduct experiments to test their hypotheses. Other scientists conduct their experiments inside a computer. Alva Curtsdotter is a theoretical ecologist that studies the behaviour of animal populations across natural landscapes,  but instead of spending her time surveying and measuring real world populations she runs computer simulations to see how animal populations may respond in the future to things like climate change and environmental disturbance. In this interview we discuss how empirical and theoretical approaches to science are both necessary to gain a thorough understanding of the world around us, but to make that work we need scientists who are able to understand both so that empirical and theoretical scientists can communicate effectively. As always we discover that everything in science can be likened to some kind of pop culture reference and, when pressed for relevance, sports references can always do the trick.   Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Natalie Morgan (UNE) Support In Situ Science on Patreon Chicken is big business and the science behind poultry nutrition is an incredibly precise mix of chemistry and biology. As the market for poultry continues to increase worldwide there is ongoing need to industry to improve the efficiency and sustainability of chicken feed. Natalie Morgan is a poultry nutrition expert who works to understand how the diets fed to livestock can be modified to improve overall animal health and yield. In this interview we talk about the connection that people have to their food in a society where most people are getting their food from supermarkets rather than farmers and growers. We also talk about the difference between caged, barn reared and free-range chickens, and pitch ideas for new ‘big thing’ tourist attractions. Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

Live from the Django Bar          Support In Situ Science on Patreon In Situ Science returned to the Django Bar to celebrate National Science Week and the Sydney Science Festival. This year we we’re joined by Cameron Webb (USyd and NSW Health), Katherina Petrou (UTS), Fonti Kar (UNSW) and Samuel Bannister (USyd) who shared stories about everything from studying marine algae in Antarctic sea ice, to fishing for komodo dragons with giant genetically engineered mosquitos. We asked our panel important questions about careers in science such as ‘do you have a plan B’ and ‘whats the weirdest thing you have been bitten by?’ We discovered a range of new scientific terms including ‘bum snorkels’ and ‘Devil’s lettuce’ and once again we tested the wits and wisdom of our panel with a ‘guess that ology’ quiz. Katherina Petrou was named smartest scientist of the night and took home one of our much sought after In Situ Science trophies. Thanks to the Django Bar for having us back once again and to our amazing Sydney Science Festival Volunteers. Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Andrew Katsis (Deakin) Support In Situ Science on Patreon A single tweet can make all the difference, or at least it did for Andrew Katsis, who decided to get involved in the #billmeetsciencetwitter trend. Little did he know that his tweet would be seen by American television producers, who decided to fly Andrew over to LA to talk about this research on the Netflix show ‘Bill Nye Saves the World’. Andrew’s research looks at how bird calls can affect the development of chicks while they still inside their eggs. Andrew’s life in ornithology had a bumpy start as he grew up on his family’s emu farm and was terrorised by the giant birds roaming their property. The birds he studies now are much smaller and more manageable, but no less fascinating. Andrew is also a co-founder of Lateral Magazine, a freely available popular science magazine driven by early career scientists. Check out Lateral Magazine here, follow Andrew on Twitter @andrew_katsis, and check out his research website here. Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Tom Saunders (U of Auckland) Support In Situ Science on Patreon Tom Saunders experienced a burst of scientific fame after naming a newfound species of wasp Lusius malfoyi, after the beloved and maligned Harry Potter character Lucius Malfoy. Naming new species after pop culture figures has become a useful tool for enhancing public awareness taxonomy and biodiversity research. Taking this strategy though has to be handled delicately as paying homage to beloved fictional characters can upset both traditional taxonomists and hardcore pop-culture fans.   Tom Saunders studies the biology of agricultural pests and biocontrol agents at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. In this interview we talk about the importance of fundamental biological research for enhancing applied agricultural research. We also chat about the strange beast that is the academic publishing system and how it needs to be improved into the future. Follow Tom on Twitter @TomSaundersNZ and visit his research website here. Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com  

SPECIAL GUEST: Amy Martin (UoA) Support In Situ Science on Patreon Amy Martin is a researcher at the University of Auckland that studies the incredible private lives of orchids that trick male wasps into mating with them. By depriving these wasp populations of male sperm they can actually have long term effects on the wasp populations. Amy says that this is why deceptive orchids the world over tend to use haplodiploid insects as their pollinators as their unique mating systems make them ideal dupes. Amy’s scientific specialties in animal behaviour and mathematical modelling come as no surprise when you find out that she is the daughter of a mathematician and an animal behaviour researcher. In this interview we chat about what it’s like following your parent’s footsteps into a career in academia and whether their support and interest can be a blessing or a curse.   Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com  

SPECIAL GUEST: Tim Chapman (UNE) Support In Situ Science on Patreon This episode sees our first ever geologist on the podcast. Tim Chapman is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of New England. He studies the high energy geological reactions, such as the formation of volcanoes and meteorite impacts, and what influence these have had on our landscape. As we discuss the cutting edge of geological science, Tim answers such pressing questions as ‘what is a rock?’ We cover hot topics including geology themed sci-fi disaster movies and whether glass can actually flow over time. The take home message is, if you haven’t seen ‘The Core’, go and see ‘The Core’. Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Fonti Kar (UNSW) Support In Situ Science on Patreon Fonti Kar is a behavioural ecologist from the University of New South Wales. She studies the life history of skinks and how the conditions they are born in can affect their behaviour and development later on in life. In this interview Fonti we dive deep into what it takes to be a productive scientist and the pros and cons of forging out a career in such a competitive field. And, as always, it seems that the answer involves regular crafternoons. Your productivity as a scientist can have as much to do with the time spent outside of work, as it does your time spent working. Fonti is a passionate baker, gamer, dancer and crafter and has found that making time to escape from the pressures of a high achieving career path are essential for your overall happiness and ultimate success. Follow Fonti on twitter @Fonti_Kar or visit her website here   Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: John Paterson (UNE) John Paterson is a professor of paleontology and earth sciences at the University of New England. He studies the evolution of life during the Cambrian explosion. Some of his recent research has shown that during this time some of the largest predators around, Anomalocaris, had wonderfully complex eyes and they were likely to be incredible visual predators of their time. In this interview we also hear about his work studying the fossils found in the Emu Bay Shale on Kangaroo Island. We also hear about how he and his team celebrated their 10 year anniversary of working at the Emu Bay Shale with a specially brewed ‘Shale Ale’, a craft beer filtered through fossil remnants. Support us on Patreon Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Boyd Wright (UNE) Boyd Wright is an arid zone ecologist from the University of New England that studies the life history of the sturdy plants that make their homes in Australia’s dry deserts. Boyd has spent many years working with Indigenous communities in these areas and has made it his mission to find as many opportunities as he can to work in his true desert home. This includes finding odd jobs on farms, in aged health care and even as a Pintupi-Luritja language interpreter. In this interview with In Situ Science we chat about how Boyd had learn the Pintupi-Luritja language from scratch by living amongst the community and is now a NAATI accredited language interpreter. By building relationships with Indigenous communities Boyd has been able to share his scientific knowledge and work alongside them to study the ecology of fire and its role in shaping the Australian landscape.   Support us on Patreon Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Marissa Betts (UNE) Palaeontology isn’t just about Dinosaurs! Marissa Betts is a researcher at the University of New England that studies the evolution of miniscule animals that existed during the Cambrian explosion. During this era animals evolved hard shelled bodies that made them much more likely to fossilise. By looking at these tiny fossils Marissa can investigate how lifeforms on earth have changed over millions of years and how this information can be used to trace the history of the earth itself. In this interview we chat about everything from paleo-art tattoos to continental drift, magnetic pole shifts, lumpers and splitters, and scientific ‘arranged marriages’. Marissa trots across the globe finding fossils and conducting research across Australia, Asia and Europe. Follow her adventures on her website and check her out on Instagram @200micron Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Mary Whitehouse (CSIRO) Farmers have learned that the widespread use of pesticides is a dangerous strategy as it can lead to the evolution of highly pesticide resistant crop pests. Land managers are moving towards ‘Integrated Pest Management’ techniques that use a multitude of strategies to more responsibly control pests, including fostering populations of natural pest predators.  Mary Whitehouse has (in her own words) been masquerading as an entomologist with the CSIRO for almost 20 years studying the management of cotton crop pests in regional NSW. Although her secret scientific passion has always been the private lives of spiders. In this interview we chat about the history of genetically modified cotton in Australian agriculture and how keeping landscapes natural and biodiverse can enhance our agricultural industries.  Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUESTS: Alexander and Jane Dudley (Faunaverse) Alexander and Jane Dudley are passionate defenders of the natural world. They have written two poetry books showcasing Australia’s unique animal life. Alexander travels all across Australia as a wildlife surveyor. His passion for animals and poetry has led him, with some firm encouragement from Jane, to compile his poetry together and share it with the world. Jane has been taking things one step further and putting her passion for wildlife into songs.  In this episode we talk about, well, everything! Topics include wombat poo, house prices and the Coolatai panther. We hear about how the couple met when Jane jumped online to try and identify a frog. We chat about We hear the story of Jane’s struggle with mental illness and how an unconventional and experimental treatment has had some pretty incredible results.   Get your own Australian wildlife poetry book at the Faunaverse website or follow the team on social media @faunaverse.   Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com  

SPECIAL GUEST: Tanya Latty (USyd) Urban beekeeping is all the rage but its not the only thing you can do to help pollinators. Tanya Latty from the University of Sydney says being a lazy gardener may be the best thing you can do to help your local bees, beetles and butterflies. Tanya’s work was recently featured on ABC’s Catalyst as part of the Great Australian Bee Challenge. Tanya and her lab work on understanding how social organisms work together to solve problems like navigation, predation and decision making. Incredibly this work can help scientist and engineers develop new technologies such as self-driving cars and autonomous robots.  We had a few audio issues with this one. Apologies for the scratchy track, but a million thanks to John Dennison for helping out and saving this one for us! Find out more about Tanyas work on her lab website or follow her on Twitter at @TanyaLatty Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

LIVE FROM THE SYDNEY DESIGN FESTIVAL Can science explain what makes good design? Are designers and scientists really that different? Or are they both just explorers searching for truth in different ways? We celebrated the intersections of Science and Design at the Sydney Design Panel with a celebrity panel featuring Tom Gordon, Chris Reid, Wendy Davis and Laura Jade Hindes.  We explored everything from optical illusions to corpse piles to redneck science. Audience members got a sneak peek at the inner workings of James' brain and everyone got to take home a slime mould! Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com      

SPECIAL GUEST: Richard Charlesworth (UNE) Is gluten actually bad for you? Is all the hype surrounding gluten free diets justified? According to Dr Richard Charlesworth, its complicated. People's responses to gluten can range from severe coeliac disease, through to a whole spectrum of intolerance syndromes, to not reacting to it at all. And diagnosing which of these conditions people are susceptible to is a complex challenge. In an interview with In Situ Science Richard chats about his own challenges with living a gluten free lifestlye and his research into developing better diagnostic tests to understand coeliac disease. As well as being a scientist and lecturer Richard is an enthusiastic archer, flautist, and keeper of carnivorous plants. We chat about his range of hobbies and explore what it takes to make sure you have a healthy work-life balance in academia. Follow Richard on Twitter @drcarnivorous Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com        

SPECIAL GUEST: Russell Bicknell (UNE) Horseshoe crabs, firstly, are not crabs, nor do they make effective horseshoes. They are a unique animal more closely related to spiders and scorpions than crustaceans. They are highly valued due to the coagulant properties of their blood, which is harvested as a pharmaceutical product to identify impurities in medicinal products. This sadly also places them under threat as their populations are routinely harvested and their numbers are declining. Russell Bicknell is a scientist studying their feeding behaviour and says that they need additional protection for them to survive. Russell also uses fossils to understand ancient predators from the cambrian using 3D scanning techniques to ‘reconstruct’ images of fossilised organisms. He also hopes to one day publish a pink fluffy PhD thesis :-D Find out more about Russell's work here Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Kirsti Abbott (UNE) Have you ever wanted to visit a Steampunk themed scientific learning space aimed at all ages in a regional university. We’ll guess what!? The Boilerhouse Discovery Space is currently under construction at the University of New England and is on track for completion in 2022. In this interview we chat with Kirsti Abbot the manager of UNE Discovery. She talks to us about how making learning experiences accessible to kids in regional communities is essential for bringing about equality in education later on in life. We also talk about her previous work as an entomologist studying invasive species management. Working in invasive species management enabled her to engage with community members and diverse stakeholders and lead her towards a career in science outreach and community engagement. Follow Kirsti on Twitter @beyondbuggirl Or find out more about the Boilerhouse Discovery Space at uneboilerhouse.org.au    Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Vincent Raoult (UoN) Sharks are cool! Thats about all there is to it. Gone are the days of viewing sharks as  bloodthirsty killers, we're now all on board with the fact that they are an incredibly diverse group of animals with amazing biology. Vincent Raoult from the University of Newcastle studies the biology of sharks and is looking at ways we can improve fisheries practices to work more efficiently and protect sharks at the same time. In this interview with In Situ Science we also discuss juggling a work with family life and hear about science careers from the perspective of someone with a 6-week old daughter. With so much focus on supporting women in STEM, perhaps a little extra support for fathers in STEM might solve a whole lot of problems. Follow Vince on Twitter @sawsharkman Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Martin Whiting (MQ) Martin Whiting is a true natural historian. He has spent his life studying reptiles across the world as far as Australia, Asia and Africa. In an interview with In Situ Science we delve into the secret lives of social skinks and their incredible intelligence and the incredible flat lizards that signal their quality using UV colour patches.  Martin’s work has been featured in BBC documentaries and he had the opportunity to work alongside Sir David Attenborough for the filming of ‘Life in Cold Blood’. During the interview we also meet Martin’s two dogs Winnie and Douggie and hear all about Martin’s other two prides and joys, his amazing natural history library and his lizard infested rock wall.  Follow the Lizard Lab on Twitter @lizard_labVisit the Lizard Lab websiteFollow the Lizard Lab on Facebook   Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Sonja Dominik (CSIRO) In this special Christmas episode we chat to Sonja Dominik from the CSIRO who has just been named one of Australia’s ‘Superstars of STEM’; a nationwide initiative focussed on increasing the visibility of women in STEM and addressing the gender gap in scientific careers. Her research focuses on using genetic technologies to improve the health and productivity of livestock animals such as sheep, cows and even fish!  In an interview with In Situ Science Sonja explains how looking for genetic markers for good health and particular traits can help farmers breed better animals more efficiently and ethically. We also discuss Sonjas exciting hobbies including gymnastics, body building and ninja warrior sports.  Despite what you may hear on the podcast Sonja’s twitter handle is @SonjaDominik or you can follow her Ninja Warrior adventures on Instagram @ScienceNinja4   Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Mandy Hagstrom (UNE) Lift heavy, but not too heavy. Don't eat too much, unless you need to eat a lot. Cardio is great, until it isn't. Sports science is a relatively new field of science and there is lots of conflicting information out there that can leave people very confused about how best to approach healthy decisions. Sports scientist Mandy Hagstrom from the University of New England tends to agree and says that we are really only scratching the surface in terms of our knowledge about how the body responds to exercise.  Mandy's research investigates how resistance training can have health benefits well beyond pure strength. Mounting evidence suggests that recovering from serious illness isn't just about rest and recuperation, but also about hitting the gym. She doesn't just spruik the benefits of strength training, she lives and breathes it. Mandy has has a background in competitive weightlifting and powerlifting and continues to practice what she preaches.  Follow Mandy on Twitter @ADHagstrom   Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com  

SPECIAL GUEST: Chris Goatley (UNE) What do animals do? It may sound like a very simple question but for many biologists it can be very hard to answer. For marine biologist Chris Goatley studying small, elusive cryptobenthic fish, understanding what they get up to is both an incredible challenge and adventure. Teeny tiny fish make up a huge amount of biomass in coral reefs across the globe and we actually know very little about how they survive and what role they play in coral reef ecology. In an interview with In Situ Science Chris chats with us about how a childhood fascination for the ocean lead to him setting off on a globe-trotting, ocean spanning career. We also chat about how he ended up doing marine biology in Australia’s most inland, high-altutude university. You can follow Chris on Twitter @buzzgoatley   Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Will Billingsley (UNE) With computer technology processing rapidly, and the proliferation of the internet into all aspects of our lives and businesses, you can't blame people for feeling a little bit out of control. With technologies such as 'machine learning' and 'artificial intelligence' becoming more common place we are beginning to ask questions about how much we actually understand what their effects are. In this episode we sit down for a chat with technologist and computer science lecturer Will Billingsley from the University of New England and chat about what the future holds for computer science. We talk about the importance of understanding how to control the programmes we create, and, more importantly, how good Black Mirror is! Follow Will on twitter @wbillingsley and check out his website wbillingsley.com   Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Lindsey Frost (UNE) Wetlands aren't always wet. Sounds strange but in an arid country like Australia, wetlands may be dry for decades at a time  until water arrives via rain and flooding events. These unique habitats provide crucial resources for diverse ecosystems that thrive under dynamic boom-and-bust situations.  Lindsey Frost is a wetland ecologist from the University of New England who is setting out to answer the question, 'how much water does it take to grow a duck?' By investigating the dynamics of entire wetland ecosystem food-webs Lindsey will uncover how much water is actually necessary to sustain a thriving and healthy wetland ecosystem. Follow Lindsey on Twitter @FrostyCamps   Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Dieter Hochuli (USyd) “A society grows great when men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”  - Greek proverb   Dieter Hochuli is an invertebrate biologist and urban ecologist from the University of Sydney that studies how nature survives in towns and cities. His research investigates the ecological, economical and psychological benefits of nature in cities, and how our modern way of life affects the plants and animals around us.  In an interview with In Situ Science Dieter chats with us about how connecting with nature is being shown to have significant impacts on people’s health and well being, and that this connection can still happen even when you live in a big city. We also chat about the creative side of science and science communication, and how taking ourselves a little less seriously can be a great technique for approaching science and scientific careers.  Follow Dieter on Twitter @dieterhochuli and check out his lab website here. Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Naomi Koh Belic (UTS) The potential for using stem cells in medical treatments is really only just being explored. Despite this there are already unsubstantiated claims being shared and predatory cosmetic stem cell treatments on the market. Naomi Koh Belic is a PhD researcher at the University of Technology, Sydney who studies the biology of human stem cells and how they differentiate into other cell types.  In an interview with In Situ Science Naomi chats to us about her research on stem cells and human disease. We also chat about her whirl-wind introduction to the world of science communication and what compels scientists to continue doing public science outreach.  Follow Naomi on Twitter and Instagram @naomikohbelic and her website www.naomikohbelic.com Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: David Lamb (UNE) Living and working in a regional town is having your cake and eating it too! David Lamb is a distinguished professor at the University of New England and Chief Scientist of the Food Agility CRC. He has spent his professional career at regional universities throughout Australia and wouldn’t have it any other way. The research he does on food production in agriculture can contribute straight back to the community that he lives in. In an interview with In Situ Science David chats with us about how a dream of flying planes sent him down a career path in applied physics and the use of remote sensing in agricultural landscapes. A career in agricultural science has let him experience every side of science from the pure and theoretical, to the applied end points. In his current role as Chief Scientist of the Food Agility CRC David works to improve the production of food across Australia using emerging technologies in precision agriculture.   Learn more about the Food Agility CRC on their website. Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on Twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com  

SPECIAL GUEST: Scott Fabricant (Rutgers Medical School) Boffins, tinkerers, deep-thinkers, these are terms people often use to describe the stereotypical scientist, sitting away in the lab slowly piecing together facts and data. And for a lot of scientists this is true, but not all scientists are the same, and for some this long-game of piecing together complex puzzles simply isn’t satisfying. So what type of science do these people do? Scott Fabricant started off his scientific career with a PhD looking at the ecology of hibiscus bugs throughout Australia. It didn’t take long though for him to realise his calling was elsewhere. He now studies medicine back home in the US and, in an interview with In Situ Science, tells us about how this career path lets him see the difference he can make in society first hand. Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com  

LIVE AT THE CAMELOT LOUNGE!!! Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a scientist? Do they really wear lab coats? Are they really all timid nerds, like in the movies? All these questions and more were answered at In Situ Science's annual Life Vs Science live podcast recording. Each year we celebrate National Science Week and the Sydney Science Festival with a live podcast at the Camelot Lounge in Sydney's inner west. This wear we we're joined by Dieter Hochuli (USyd), Michael Kasumovic (UNSW), Naomi Koh Belic (UTS) and Sophie Calabretto (MQ) who regaled the audience with tales of their favourite fluids, fatty uber deliveries, Fortnite parenting strategies and the multiple-hat wearing community. We topped off the night by crowning a science champion with a 'Name that Effect' quiz. Thanks to the Camelot Lounge for having us and to everyone who came along on the night, it was an amazing event! Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Karl Vernes (UNE) The Desert Rat Kangaroo (Caloprymnus campestris), or ‘oolaculnta’ was last seen by scientist Hedley Herbert Finlayson in the 1930’s. Since then there have been a number of accounts which suggest that this rare and elusive creature may still be out there, in the stony deserts of South Australia. In Australia, which has one of the worst records for mammal extinctions due to human activity, finding this marsupial alive would be a great boon for Australian conservation.  A team of scientists led by Karl Vernes at the University of New England are on a mission to try and find the Desert Rat Kangaroo and verify if it still exists. They’re looking for support through crowdfunding and you can help make it happen. In an interview with In Situ Science Karl tells us about how he has been planning a hunt for Desert Rat Kangaroo for 15 years and the time has finally come! You can help support this scientific expedition here!    Follow Karl on Twitter @KarlVernes or check out his camera trapping discoveries on Instagram at @curiousbettong.   Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  ‪http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com

SPECIAL GUEST: Ada Klinkhamer (UNE) The enormous, long-necked Sauropods are some of the most iconic dinosaurs, and its no surprise given the almost unfathomable sizes that they grew to. Ada Klinkhamer is a palaeontologist from the University of New England that studies how these ancient beasts could have moved and how their skeletons supported such enormous bodies.  In an interview with In Situ Science Ada chats with us about what its like being a dinosaur detective and piecing together stories about how dinosaurs lived from fragments of information. We also chat about what makes good science fiction and why the latest Jurassic World films just aren't cutting the mustard. Find out more about Ada's research on the Fear Lab Website or follow her on Twitter @ada_klinkhamer Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com  

SPECIAL GUEST: Harry White (LLS) Australian landscapes have been changed drastically by agricultural practices brought here by European settlers. Some of these have had dramatic impacts on the health of ecosystems and the productivity of farms in Australian climates. One way of addressing these issues is to draw upon the expertise of Australia's Aboriginal people how have lived here for tens of thousands of years. In practice, however, this is easier said than done given the myriad of social and historical issues that continue to divide indigenous and non-indigenous communities. Harry White is a Gamilaraay elder that has spent much of his career working with indigenous communities throughout the Northern Tablelands Region of NSW. In his current role as Senior Land Services Officer for Local Land Services he works to bridge cultural and communication gaps between indigenous and non-indigenous communities to improve land management practices and provide employment, development and education opportunities for Indigenous communities. Find out more at www.insituscience.com Follow us on twitter @insituscience Follow us on Instagram  http://instagram.com/insituscience  Like us on Facebook Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com